Ootoya Times Square — Restaurant in New York

Let’s start with the positive - this restaurant looks the part and feels very authentic with quite a number of Asian guests. Service was kind and tried to be helpful if a little rushed as it was a little busy even though it was just before the dinner rush.

The bad isn’t that bad… and the points below are jiggly but enough to lose two stars in my humble opinion… The menu is good and full of options. There was nothing wrong overall with the taste of the dishes but just lacking a little in comparison with the expectation from the look and feel of the restaurant.

I’ll try to explain…

The Daikon side dish is practically a full sized Salad plate (the small version is.. I dread the size of the large portion). This is good if you want a massive plate of it but it was a lot.

The Sushi cut very thick - with no option by the chef to slice it thinner (even in a busy restaurant, a good sushi chef should be sliced to order if requested). A tiny droplet of wasabi (fresh I believe which is a positive) accompanied it which felt a little churlish. I’m sure I could have asked for more but it would make more sense to put an appropriate amount with the dish.

The gyoza was simply too greasy, fell apart too easily and the edges rubbery with not nearly enough of a dipping bowl for the sauce.

Finally the Tonkatsu Udon bowl - this should have been a highlight and the Tonkatsu was excellent with a mix of both the white loin and the brown meat mixed together and the broth and udons were excellent. The simple issue was instead of sitting on the noodles above the broth… the panko breaded meat was drowning in the broth which of course meant that it fell apart very quickly.

Finally… and its just a cheeky jab… how can you run out of Ramunade? That’s just a cardinal sin 😊

Attention to the little details is the hallmark of great Japanese cooking and this was easily a restaurant that should not have these issues and I hope they are ironed out so that this place can get the proper 5 star rating...

Decided to come here for a quick dinner before a show at The Town Hall. We were seated at the counter and there was no wait for a seat despite it being close to dinnertime on a Sunday.

I got the Katsu Don and the Matcha Anmitsu for dessert. The Katsu Don was alright, the cutlet was somewhat juicy, but I've had better elsewhere. The sauce was fruity and tart, which I am not a fan of, but I know this is the traditional Katsu sauce flavor, so it's just a matter of personal preference. I much rather like a curry sauce on my Katsu cutlets, myself. There was a large serving of cold salad, which was nothing special. I don't particularly care for cold veggies, but wasting food is a sin, so I ate it up anyway. The best part of the dish was the rice. It's been a long while since I've had such delicious plain white rice, and the texture is slightly sticky, but not overly so, and the taste is delicate and sweet. 3/5

The server forgot my order of dessert and I ended up waiting for an extra 15 minutes for the Matcha Anmitsu. I liked the ice cream portion and the sweet liquid, but I didn't care for the mochi balls. It was alright, but I wouldn't order it again unless I really felt like my stomach needed something sweet to top it off. 3/5

Overall, it was a satisfying dinner and the cost was rather agreeable (for the Times Square district), but I would try something else next time if I'm in the area. The food is just too average, it fails to get a high...

My friend and I chose to dine at Ootoya tonight based on their clear representation as a no-tipping restaurant. This was a decisive factor in selecting the establishment. After our meal, despite leaving a small courtesy tip, we were appalled when the server pursued us to the door, demanding an 18% gratuity, directly contradicting the restaurant’s advertised no-tipping policy. This incident constitutes not only blatant false advertising but also a deceptive trade practice, both of which are violations under consumer protection laws.

This confrontation caused significant harm to my friend, both mentally and physically. They were humiliated, subjected to public embarrassment, and left feeling distressed and anxious by the aggressive demand for a gratuity that should never have been expected. The physical impact of the stress was evident and entirely avoidable had the restaurant adhered to its stated policies. Such conduct may be considered a breach of duty under unfair and deceptive acts and practices (UDAP) statutes and could result in legal action for false advertising, misrepresentation, and the resulting emotional and physical harm.

We are seriously contemplating pursuing legal remedies for the mental anguish and physical distress inflicted on my friend due to Ootoya’s dishonest practices. This is a gross violation of consumer trust and basic fairness, and we will not stand for...